Maine ranked-choice count marred by flash drive error, delayed results, and ballot rescanning

Seven days after Maine’s June primary election, questions are emerging about the handling of ranked-choice voting results after reporting issues surfaced in several communities across the state, raising concerns about transparency, chain of custody procedures, and public confidence in the vote-counting process.

The Maine Wire began investigating the irregularities after receiving tips early Tuesday morning alleging problems with election results being processed by the Maine Secretary of State’s Office during the ongoing ranked-choice voting tabulation.

Bellows has still offered no clear public explanation. No timeline. No findings. No corrective action.

The first report involved the City of Biddeford, where election results appeared to be missing from the state’s ranked-choice voting count.

Seeking answers, we traveled to Biddeford City Hall and met with Interim City Clerk Crystal Morin and Communications